AgAlertAs the 2016 election draws closer, there are plenty of policy issues all Americans can argue passionately for or against. However, there should be no dispute regarding the importance of consuming more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. In fact, the recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that everyone eat more fruits and vegetables regardless of form: canned, frozen, fresh, dried or 100 percent juice.

Editor's note:The above article refers to a coalition letter signed by more than 50 food and agriculture groups, including AFFI, urging the U.S. House of Representatives to expand a U.S. Department of Agriculture School Snack program to include all forms of fruits and vegetables.READ MORE

Houston ChronicleH-E-B is joining the growing number of major U.S. grocery chains that are moving toward selling only cage-free eggs.
The San Antonio-based grocery chain quietly announced that it is working toward selling only cage-free eggs by 2025. READ MORE

Food Business News Nestle is making a move to simplify ingredients across six of its top ice cream brands: Dreyer's, Häagen-Dazs, Outshine, Skinny Cow, Nestle Ice Cream and Nestle Drumstick. The initiative is the latest in a series of efforts from the company to update existing products across the entire portfolio of brands.READ MORE

The HillHillary Clinton won a convincing victory in New York's presidential primary, easily defeating Democratic rival Bernie Sanders.
With 98 percent of the vote counted, Clinton has a double-digit lead over Sanders, 57.9 percent to 42.1 percent, surpassing expectations.

Blueberries are a boon for kid-friendly, mom-approved beverages. Beverage formulators put blueberries on the label and benefit from the image as a healthy, delicious fruit full of natural goodness and the associations of comfort food. Blueberries impart lush flavor in juices, beverages and teas as is or combined with other fruits. Blueberry juice, puree and other liquid blueberry products are available year round.

The HillDonald Trump will come away with a huge haul of delegates following a big win in New York's primary that moves him closer to the Republican presidential nomination.
Trump began the night with 756 delegates, according to The Associated Press. He appears poised to take 89 of the 95 delegates that were up for grabs in New York.

Food Navigator-USAThe Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is plowing ahead with an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda for the remainder of 2016 without pause after knocking out five final or proposed rules related to food safety and nutrition in just as many weeks.READ MORE

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Refrigerated & Frozen Foods DMI, an end-to-end mobility company based in Bethesda, Maryland, partnered with the Agriculture Department to incorporate enhancements and customer feedback into The FoodKeeper, a premier mobile app developed by DMI for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The mobile app, which has more than 100,000 downloads, is available for Android and Apple devices, and will be available beginning late May.READ MORE

Global Meat NewsA collection of U.S. poultry boards has said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to carry out chicken factory inspections that do not comply with the U.S. Constitution. READ MORE

Food Safety NewsFood company employees — from field workers to grocery store clerks — are on the front lines of food safety efforts but are sometimes reluctant to speak up about problems because they fear retaliation. A new rule, published in the Federal Register, defines whistleblower protections for employees who disclose information about potential food safety problems.READ MORE

Food Chemical News
The House Appropriations Committee agreed to an amendment that would delay the Food and Drug Administration from advancing guidance targeting levels of sodium in various foods until a separate study on the Dietary Reference Intake is issued.
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USAgNet U.S. exports in February were 387 million pounds, 2.5 percent larger than a year earlier. The Agriculture Department reports that volumes exceeded 35 million pounds, a level not achieved since 2014, and likely reflect high pork prices in China.READ MORE

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Food Safety News Robert's Rules drive order in the complex deliberations at the biannual meeting of the Conference for Food Protection. They also drive attendees out of the intense sessions to refresh in open spaces where they can share learning in a spirit of open-mindedness.
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Food Navigator-USANot so long ago, "premium" was just about taste and texture. Today's consumers — millennials in particular — have a somewhat broader definition, which encompasses how their food was made, who made it, how sustainable it is and a bunch of other things that you can't discern just from eating it.READ MORE

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Demanding what you want, how you want it and when you want it are hallmarks of millennials — the 69 million U.S. adults currently age 18-34. Millennials are significantly more likely than adults age 35-plus to like standing out in a crowd, to enjoy making fashion statements and to expect their car to express their own personality. READ MORE